Liz-isms

Not so much universal truths, just some things that are inevitable in my life!

- If I'm going out, and have an outfit to wear in mind, one part of said ensemble will be in the washing machine
- If I make the bed in the spare bedroom, the dog will immediately walk across it.
- If I promise myself not to eat any Halloween candy, I will eat about 16 Halloween candies. (same also applies to consumption of alcoholic beverages, but last night I was good...)
- If I forget my grocery list, I will also forget to purchase an important ingredient to a dish I'm making that night.
- If I go to the grocery store to pick up fresh basil, I will also purchase chips, (sometimes dip), bananas, cereal, milk, apples, celery, and a trashy magazine.
- I will always buy a trashy magazine (such as US, OK!, or Star) if there is a skinny celebrity on the front and people are concerned with their health, or if a celebrity has gained 4 pounds and the world is coming to an end...
- If I need a nap, Halia will decide to either chew on a bone, or want to go outside and play.
- If I'm running late, or feeling rushed, my gas tank will be on empty.
- Once the bank balance is surprisingly high, a huge bill will come in the mail.
- When I'm waiting for an email, it will never, ever come.
- I will get at least 4 useless group pages from my office, 5 days a week, 52 weeks a year. (today 3 before 9 am!)
- The person I like the most on any reality show will never win. It's a curse!
- If there is a commercial that annoys me, it will play all the time. (Jennifer Granholm has got to that thing cut off of her face!)

There is so many more. It just makes me shake my head. My one friend would tell me it's because of what I'm putting out in the universe. (She is that girl that wins everything...) I have to start making new vibes...

Woo Hoo

Let's keep it simple. Thank God for Daylight's Savings Time.

I am a morning person. I like the quiet, the beauty and the promise of a new day. I very much prefer to see the morning in light than darkness.

I was starting to stay in bed until the sun came out, and I'm happy to say that today I was out walking the dog at 7:40 am. Bright, cool and sunny.

Of course the negative is that it gets dark earlier. That means making dinner with the lights on, and going to volleyball in today darkness. Any home showings after 6 make me feel like a ninja or a criminal. Oh well, it's only less than 2 months until the days start getting longer again...

Not much happened this week-end. Billy had fun with his men friends, and I was absolutely unproductive in real estate. Ugh! Need a sale! Need some clients! Well, I'll keep trying... until I go to Tennessee again...

Positively positive

That last few posts have been a little ranty. A little negative. It is now Saturday morning. Billy is asleep. (Last night he and said friend sat in the hot tub in the pouring rain with a tarp over them, and a party tub full o beer.) It is gorgeous outside. Bright sun on one side, dark, stormy clouds on the other, and vivid fall colours in between. Coffee came out well, and I'm in my favorite joggies.

I think I will keep this good feeling going by listing some 'good things'.

- The smell of coffee brewing reminds me of Tennessee.
- Sharpie markers
- Billy loving and complimenting (some of) my cooking
- 2 homes closed successfully yesterday
- Having a DVR so I can indulge in guilty pleasures like 'The Bachelor' and Biggest Loser' without making Billy suffer
- My new brown boots (still a little tight...)
- Good quality, heavy, nice writing pens, (but not so good I would be upset if I lost them...)
- When Halia is so tired she just wants to put her head in my lap
- Oatmeal cookies from Foodland in Essex (OMG!)
- Having a really clean house, (usually last from Friday afternoon to Monday...)
- Having no open house Sunday, but perhaps writing an offer...
- Martha Stewart

Now I feel even better. Of course I could go on, but I was starting to have to think. We don't want that!

People whom I don't understand

Okay, I've thought about this for a while, and I realize that I must live in a vacuum, because there are a lot of people that I don't understand.

I don't understand people who:

- Are not financially responsible. I get going shopping, and maybe buying jeans that you don't need, and are little expensive. That I get. What is beyond me is people that without a second thought spend money on stuff they don't need, etc, and they can't pay their gas bill, and their credit cards are run through the roof.

- Are junk collectors. If you don't use it, throw it away. It is junk. If you are saving those 4 snowmobiles, all without engines, and one without a seat, all built in the early 70's, and you really lack all knowledge to repair said snowmobiles, then I think it's time to get rid of them. This can also be said for old bicycles, motorcycles, trailers, appliances of all kinds, a tractor, and old cars. If you haven't been in the same barn as these mentioned items in 6 months, it's time to pitch the whole lot. Don't they see that?

- Become attached to sh!t-knacks. I see sh!t-knacks all the time in people's houses. The worst is when someone needs to downsize their residence, and they can't part with the stuffed penguin that their boyfriend gave them 6 years ago. (this especially applies when you are 60ish years old...) I get antiques, and sentimentality, but there is a time to draw a line.

- Who have no pride in their homes. I don't care if you rent or own. I don't care if it is 400 sq ft or 4,400 sq ft. It is where you live and where you spend most of your time. Be clean, take care of it. This is the one place in the world that is all yours, and here you should feel at peace. Cut your grass once in a while. Take out the garbage. Don't let the cat poop on the floor.

- Are intolerant. Live and let live. Who cares what God someone prays to, or what they wear. Who cares if they speak kjahslkdjh in front of you. Who cares if someone chooses to be with someone of the same sex. It doesn't affect you at all. As long as I am living in Canada, and as long as in Canada you can sleep with, worship, speak and dress any way you want, let it be. Try to understand their side. Unless someone is going jihad on me personally in my own backyard, I don't care. (Of course we should be aware of what is happening in the world, but who am I or you to push my beliefs on others.) Whatever, let it go, you'll be happier, really.

- Who don't read. How do you get by? How do you know what is going on? I swear some people's intellectual growth stopped at grade 12 graduation. Read a book, or the paper. Do a puzzle, flip through a magazine. Be a part of the world.

- Are cruel or neglectful to children, the elderly or animals. Enough said, or I'll get mad...

- Are cheap. This drives me crazy! I was recently out with someone who had a $20 bar bill, and tipped the waitress $0.25. A quarter. This guy makes well over $100,000 a year. WTF! If you can afford it, go on vacation. Get internet access. Have cable. Go out to dinner. Buy name brand pop. Beyond that, be generous. You'll feel good. You save, and save, and save for the future and guess what? They might not be one, or you've pinched pennies for so long, you have no idea who to enjoy them when the time comes. If you can afford it.

That is just the start, but it's starting to rant, and I have things to do. So if you are any of the above mentioned types of people that I don't understand, - that's okay. You don't have to explain it to me. I try to be tolerant and understanding, but sometimes I'm at a loss.

GST and me

Well, well, well. I just finished doing my GST.

Here's my list of items necessary for the successful completion of that nasty tax form:

Socks (it's a little chilly in the basement)
An entire kitchen sized table
Coffee (I broke down and made some)
Pen
Paper clips
Stapler
Calculator
Receipts (divided into 5 categories)
Tax file (including pay stubs, trade record sheets, and misc. 'big' receipts)
GST form
Past GST forms, to be sure I'm filling the current form out correctly
Blank paper
Envelopes (for quarterly storage and organization of small receipts)
Hair tie (even short hair -with longish bangs- can get in my way...)
2 remote controls (1 for the stereo, 1 for the satellite)
Phone
Cell phone/pager
Candle (it was on the table, so I decided to light it)

That's about it. Lucky me had the honor of doing my calculations whilst listening to the esteemed George Double Yuh Bush address the nation. I then remember that I had an unfinished episode of 'The Bachelor - Rome' on the DVR. Much more conducive to productive paperwork than the US president. Although listening to him speak reminded my that I am lucky to be Canadian, despite the pesky GST.

It went pretty well. I'm off $26 from the amount of GST paid to me, and the GST I should pay based on my income.

I remember a few months back, I was so happy to do GST, as I was getting a rebate. Ahh, a rebate. Free money from Revenue Canada, (okay not really free, but it feels that way) A GST rebate also translates into 'No Income In the Last Quarter'. That's not good, I digress... No rebate now! I had practically all my closings July-August-September, so therefore I owe the government $976.24. And that amount is after my 'qualifying adjustments' or whatever it's called. I think it's line 5. KT would know...

So anyway, that's my story. Thank God I happen to have exactly $980 in my jewelry box for the express purpose of paying that bill. I was however hoping that I would only owe about $400, leaving me (us) some sweet cash to maybe, uh, actually I didn't have any plans for the left over money. Good thing. I (we)have $4. Maybe I'll get a Dairy Freez burger today before the place closes for the season...

Scatter brain

I'm feeling slightly scattered this morning.

For one thing, I crawled out of bed way too late, (in my own head) to make coffee this morning. I also was sick for a few days, and haven't written an entry since Sunday morning, (AKA: the morning before the afternoon I became ill), and I have many, many things to say.

Let's start with Monday night's adventure. I received a call from Mum G on Monday night. Last Wednesday, while Billy and I were away, she and a friend decided to spend the day wandering around Point Pelee, (very nice this time of year). They, along with the pooch had a great time. A few days later, Mum G thought she had a large pimple on her, uh, I'll say backside, because I am talking about my mother in law... She was a little concerned about this pimple, and asked her daughter, Deb to have a peek. (Okay, this is really getting personal now...) Deb discovered that this blemish had legs and a head. Oh yes, it was a tick!

So obviously Deb pulled the tick off, (the proper way) and everything was fine, although Mum G swears never to return to P.P. this time of year again. Well I heard this story on Monday night, while enjoying a little fever and a stomach flu. I thought it would be prudent to give Halia an exam. Lo and behold! A little hanger on near her shoulder blade. (By the way, parasites of all kinds Freak Me Out.) Well I got the little bugger out, was finished the once over and was petting Halia for being such a good pooch. Oh what is that near her ear? A quarter sized lump, a half inch thick! Oh great it's a bloody mess with another tick having its way with my dog. Well I took out that nasty thing, and decided to take Halia to the vet in the morning. (It seems I can't go 6 weeks without a visit to the vet...)

The spot is nasty, and they had to shave her head in that area. Gross! There is a raised, bruised, bloody lump. Fun. Oh, the lucky dog also had her anal glands 'expressed'. Here's a hint: Don't put your dog in the car immediately after having her ass sacks popped, as your car will smell like a dog's butt!

Okay, so that's all good, let's go to Sunday afternoon.

I'm at the open house, and although in this blog I hoped for a good turn out, as without, I would regret not hibernating on the couch and watching football. I cursed myself well, as it was the best open house turn out I've had in months, and I felt near death with fever and stomach *issues*. Believe me, everytime that doorbell rang a litany of curse words directed at perspective buyers rushed through my head. Fun,and not very productive.

Okay, other thoughts:

- The Other Liz, (the lucky girl not only because of a fabulous name, and gorgeous looks that always go with that incredible name...) was at a charity event on Friday night and won the grand-prize-all-inclusive-trip-for-two-including-airfare-at-any-Sandals-resort in Jamaica. She deserves the trip, and I couldn't be happier for anyone!
- With the GST quarterly deadline fast approaching, (today's mission if I choose to accept it...) it makes me shake my head. I know people that haven't paid their GST in years. How do you sleep at night? Don't you think every time the phone or doorbell rings that it may be Revenue Canada wanting to know WTF? Hmm, I guess that's what drugs are for.
- I also know someone who just had their debt consolidated, (now their house is about 90-100% mortgaged after owning it for a decade....), and they've just booked a lovely trip to the tropics. Wow, great priorities! This to me is crazy for 2 reasons:
REASON 1) So you run up your credit cards on crap like clothes, and eating out, and add that debt to your mortgage. So essentially you are going to pay for that nice $120 dinner out amortized over 25 years, running for perhaps a five year term, and let's say your interest rate is 5.5%... (Please hold as I retrieve my trusty dusty mortgage calculator...) at the end of the 5 year term, they still owe about $14 for that dinner. Plus, the interest on that $120 dinner, (not included whatever you accrued on your credit card) is about $40, (for only that five year term, as that little extra is still not paid off once the entire amount of the balance is considered...) Dee dee dee!
REASON 2) If you can't afford to pay cash, if your credit cards are starting to get a little out of control, if you think the future may hold a meeting with your mortgage broker to discuss consolidation of credit card debt: Don't Go Out To Dinner And Spend $120! Is that a difficult concept to grasp?

Whew! I feel better now. Without reaching for my soapbox, I really don't understand some people. I think that's what I'll write about in my next entry: People Whom I Don't Understand.. Right after I do my GST...

Some pics

Before I forget, I wanted to post a few pics from our Tennessee vacation. The following are pictures of Billy looking for a lost ball, a sunset from our side porch down there, and Billy on a cart at Lake Tansi.





I won't bore you with any more vacation photos - until the next time!

Oh that was good!

Last night I slept better than I have in recent memory.

It was so good. Yesterday we spent the afternoon tailgating at the Michigan game with friends, consuming Margaritas, and enjoyed a good game at 'The Big House'. I'd never been before and it was pretty overwhelming. Die hard fans of all ages. It was a little crazy.

It was pretty chilly outside, and the sun only peeked out for an hour or so, so I was fairly bundled and aided by the warmth of Tequila and 109,000 + frenzied fans pushing in from all sides.

We hung out for a while after the game, (more Margaritas) while thousands of vehicles struggled to get out of the area. On the way home we listened to the Tigers World Series Game.

We went back to Barry and Michelle's and ordered pizza and I settled in on a very comfy couch and was pretty much done from there.

I think the combination of tequila, cool fresh air, (except the exhausts of the departing cars and trucks) and a long day, did me in. When we arrived home I was too tired to partake in hot tub therapy, and instead crawled into bed.

I know that I in a deep sleep within 20 minutes because I didn't hear Billy come in from outside, nor did I hear him come to bed about 30 minutes after that. I was out. I woke at about 8 am. How luxurious!

Today is cold and rainy - a typical fall day. Instead of wearing joggies and curling up with a book in front of football all day, I'm putting on grown up clothes and having an open house in Kingsville. I hope it is a good one, or I'll even more regret not spending the day on the couch. Oh, then it's off to Mum G's for rib dinner and to pick up the pooch.

It's been a really good week-end. Back to the real world though... I'm glad the real world happens to be excellent...

I'm back baby!

We arrived at home last night at about 9:20. Billy won the bet on the time we pulled in the driveway.

It was a great trip. The weather was not so great, but we made the best of it, and we golfed in weather so bad, that we were the only ones on the course. (46*F, high winds, and rain) We golfed Tansi twice, Bear Trace twice and Dorchester once. (It was awesome!) We hung out, hacked away in the yard, went shopping, indulged in Margaritas, screwdrivers (with Belvedere Vodka - yum!), and ate at the country club twice. (The first time we drank much more than we ate, and I paid for it!)

In general it was a great vacation. No stress from the office, with my husband... nuff said!

There is always something great about coming home. We have a great place in Tennessee, but wow, our house here is awesome.

I cleaned the house from top to bottom before we left, and what a brilliant idea! When we arrived home, grungy and gross from sitting in a car for 9 hours, we were greeted with a nice clean smell and sparkling lights. We immediately dumped everything in the spare room, Billy went in search of his missing truck.... then we got in the hot tub. I missed that! Especially after golfing in gale force winds! Then to sleep in our own comfy bed, (sans pooch).

Life is good. Now I'm just waiting for Billy to get up, so I can get started on the projected 6 loads of laundry, get pooch (who we both missed), drive Billy to his MIA truck, and get to Kingsville for groceries and put up open house signs.

Great vacation. Very good to be home. Oh, I have so much to say!

Tennessee bound!

Woo hoo! On Thursday afternoon, Billy and I are going to Tennessee!

As you may see, I am quite excited about this trip. Golf, dining out, hanging out and shopping... (all with Billy except the shopping...) a perfect vacation! We haven't been there together in two years.

There is something about Tennessee that I love. I've been going there since I was about 11, and have owned the house (with PF) since 1999. I just love it! I feel at peace and at home. The area is really nice and the golf courses are great.

Crossville is a good town, (maybe just a little red neckish.. anyone remember The Shamrock?) Lake Tansi is awesome. Quiet, pretty, nice people, an excellent course, good 19th Hole and a great Restaurant, (the drinks are a little strong...)

I have a bunch of things to do before we go, but no serious stress. It's going to be great, and I can't wait!

Songs in my head

Just about everyday I wake up with a song in my head.

This is truly amazing to me, as I don't even listen to music everyday. In fact I rarely listen to music at all, instead I am a talk radio and news junkie. So how do I wake up with music as my constant background?

I think it sets the tone for my day. Along with that thought, I'm not sure which comes first: the music or my mood. Does my mood when I wake up determine what song I pull from obscurity? Does the song I hear determine the mood?

Today's tune is 'The Good Stuff' by Kenny Chesney. It's a simple song about a man who has a fight with his wife, and a kind old bartender tells him to appreciate what he has in his life including the little things, because before you know it, it'll be gone. It's a nice song. It's played on the radio quite a bit, so I understand why it's in my head. It also fits with my happy/content mood.

Other recent songs in my head include:
'Me and My Gang' by Rascal Flatts
'That's What I like About Sundays' by Craig Morgan
'Mayberry' by Rascal Flatts
'8th of November' by Big and Rich

Okay, those make sense, they are played on the radio often. The other day, however I couldn't shake, 'Lucille' by Kenny Rodgers. Y'know... 'You picked a fine time to leave me Lucille, four hungry children, and a crop in the field...' I can't even remember the last time I heard that song! It has nothing to do with my mood, and I can't even relate that song to my life! Weird. I remember a couple of years ago I had the song 'My Name is Luca' by Suzanne Vega stuck in my head for about 2 months! That was annoying, (it bothered Billy too!)

So maybe these songs are random. Maybe they hold no meaning whatsoever. All I know is that song lyrics crop up during the day whenever my brain is in a lull. Sometimes it is a nice break, other times I want to saw my head off with a rusty butter knife...

Umm, excuse me...

It's a rant!

Whenever I witness ignorant, irresponsible, self-centred behavior, always one thought runs through my head, "Umm, excuse me, do you know that you are not the only person in world?"

Here's some prime and recent examples:

- At the grocery store, (the good store with really wide isles...) and there is a person blocking the entire isle. Their cart is turned sideways, and they are bent over comparing the prices of name brand and no name brand icing sugar. They have no idea that you are there. You even say 'excuse me' and they are way too involved in themselves to even hear you. To top it all off, they give you a dirty look when you push their cart aside...
- Driving down the road, preparing to turn left at a green light, when someone comes tearing out of the parking lot on the right, cuts you off completely and turns in front of you. This is more incredibly annoying when they proceed to travel 10 kms under the speed limit. Ugh!
- At the local tourist attraction, walking behind what is obviously a tourist who weighs about 400 lbs, and walks with a cane and a limp. They don't walk on the side, nope they walk right down the middle. They don't even attempt to let you by, because they are not aware of anyone else in the world.
- In line at Old Navy there are two checkouts. Everyone lines up at the one, and politely waits for the cashier to call up the next customer. Occasionally a self absorbed, self righteous city-it will stroll right up the cashier despite the line of 10 standing there.

It's okay though, really, nobody else wants to pay for their items and get home. Nobody else has to be back at work in 10 minutes, nobody but you has somewhere to be. Actually, no one in the world is as important or special as you are. No really, you're the most specialest!

It's a peeve! Hope you can relate... if you've never experienced this feeling, then you may just be the only one in the world!

Good fall and Happy Thanksgiving!

The other day I totally blasted fall. I was having a bad day. It was dark, cold and miserable outside. Things are looking better now... the sun is shining, tomorrow is Thanksgiving, (tonight we have dinner at Mrs. Grady's...) there is football on TV... and our Tennessee vacation is just around the corner...

Good things about fall:

- It's not too hot to work outside.
- When the sun us shining, it can be quite lovely outside. The grass is vibrant green, the leaves are changing, and the sky is blue.
- Halloween is near. Finally it is socially acceptable for adults to play dress up like a 4 year old. It is also an excellent excuse to buy and eat candy.
- It is the only acceptable time of the year to wear the colour orange. You can't wear orange in any other season, it just doesn't work. I love the fall colours of orange, brown, rusty red, and green. (I changed the blog's appearance to reflect this seasonal change.)
- It's nice to go in the hot tub on cool crisp evenings. The hot tub is not so nice in the summer, when the last thing you crave is to sit in 99*F water after suffering through a 98*F daytime high. Also not fun is trying to enjoy the hot tub when a blizzard is blowing about and a wind chill factor of -25*F.
- Football. I love kicking back on a Sunday afternoon and watch some football. (Last night the Tennessee Vols played, combining football and the colour orange...)
- Christmas is around the corner. I love Christmas, and I've already started to shop and look forward to more!
- Fall can be gorgeous even when a storm is approaching. I took these pictures at Seven Lakes Golf Course a few weeks back, just before a huge storm let loose. It's a gorgeous course, and that night I golfed a 43... Gorgeous isn't it. It was about 74*F that night. It started to pour just as we were walking in from the 18th hole.

- The kids are back in school, which means I know that they won't be calling before 3pm. ahhh...
- Volleyball has started, and will continue until the Spring. I already heard one amazing Dave Bedard story...

So considering everything, fall is not that bad after all. It will never be my favourite season, but it's better than winter.
I hope that you find ways to enjoy this change in season.

Chai tea and me

It's early Saturday night, and I'm here alone.

Billy is out on a couple of calls. So here I sit. It's a boring night. Nothing on the TV, nothing that I want to read, (ugh - Lord of the Rings...) nothing that I need to do, (except maybe wash my hair).

Beside the fact that Billy is on call, it has been a good week-end so far:
- We rented and burned a bunch of movies yesterday and today to bring down to Tennessee next week.
- We are invited to a Michigan game in two weeks, so we'll return from TN early to attend that. (I've never been, Billy has...)
- Finally we cleaned the carpets. They are so much better. We moved the furniture around, and added a lamp so I can see to read better.
- I took up the vegetable garden today, went to Colisanti's (the very local tourist attraction) and purchased pots for the herbs (thyme, rosemary, basil, chives and parsley). Now I have to find a place in the house for the herbs...

We have the orange pumpkin lights on the huge rubber tree plant near our bedroom. Seeing them keeps making me think that Christmas is near. Well it's not too far off I guess... Here's the tree with lights...


So it's pretty quiet. We might watch a movie or two if Billy's not out too late. Maybe hop in the hot tub. Mellow, quiet, good.

Not a 'Fall' fan

We are pretty deep into fall now, no turning back, no Indian Summer just around the corner.

I know that this is a favorite time of year for a lot of people. Yes the leaves become pretty, yes the air feels crisper, etc.... But, let's look at the negative side:

- The days are shorter. I find it really hard to motivate myself to get out of bed when it's still dark outside! I'm also not a big fan of needing a lamp turned on at 4:30 if I want to peruse a magazine while watching Oprah.
- So, you like fall because you get to pull you favorite jeans and sweaters out of storage. Well to me it seems that you wear these favs for 2 months, and the next time you catch a glimpse of your reflection after hoping out of the shower, you don't recognize those pale, white, flabby legs staring back at you from the mirror. What happened to my tan? Whose legs are those? They can't be mine!?
- The rain is cold. It's not the refreshing Summer rain, cooling a hot day. It's not a Spring shower that will encourage flowers to poke through their beds. It's cold, depressing, serving no purpose but to make me take a jacket and umbrella, and God knows I can't curl (or straighten) my hair!
- "Oh look at the gorgeous fall colours!" That's great for about a week until they all turn brown and fall in my yard. It's not so bad here, we're pretty wide open, (and mind - only 3 trees in our yard, all under 10 feet...) most leaves blow away or get stuck under the deck. However, in Tennessee we have no 'grass' per se. Just trees, moss, oh and leaves. Lots and lots and bags and tons of leaves. Ankle deep by late November. Last Spring it took me 4 days, (six hours a day...) to rake those beauties up and haul them to woods across the road. Of course I love the trees, they provide privacy, and without grass to cut, we're able to be away for long periods of time, but it really sucks to spend half of your vacation raking up leaves. (Oh, more fun when their wet...)

So generally I'm a really positive person. I try to look for the bright side, and find joy in millions of little things. Fall is not a little thing. It's a big gray cloud following me around for 3 months until it snows. The cloud is reminding me that there's at least 7 months until the sun comes back, regularly baking the landscape, and making me smile.

I promise, more positive next time!

Week-end wrap up

It was another great week-end.

This last week-end, we packed up the pop-up on Thursday morning and headed to Pinery near Grand Bend. We met our friends John and Shelly, (and their daughter Hailey) early in the afternoon. The park was pretty much deserted, and the pooch was able to roam free. It was pretty cold, but the rain stayed away until late into the night.

Have you ever slept in a pop-up during a major rain storm? Or I should say, tried to sleep during a major rain storm? It's like trying to sleep inside an active popcorn maker. It's loud.

Thank God for hydro sites and electric blankets! We brought along 'big pink' (it has to be at least 30 years old) and that kept us warm during the 40*F nights.

We headed home a day early due to expected rain on Saturday, and it worked out well. John, Shelly and Hailey came over to our house on Saturday for some cocktails, snacks, and to view the latest episode of 'Gray's Anatomy' (we had it DVR'd).

Here's some micro thoughts about camping:

- Just because bacon smells funky while cooking, does not mean it is going to taste funky.
- We saw Jackass 2 and Mission Impossible 3 at the drive-in near Grand Bend. Both were awesome.
- A sandy campsite, plus rain, plus a dog equals a big mess.
- Dry firewood is a necessity not a luxury.
- Brie dip, plus chili dip, plus crackers, plus apples and peaches makes for an excellent Saturday night dining experience.
- The Barkers are great people to go camping with. They have a kick-ass trailer and eat like kings, (and are generous to us poverty campers).
- Camping coffee is good.
- When you camp on cold rainy week-ends in October, the public bathrooms and showers are clean with lots of hot water.
- Our dog is smart enough not to poop on the campsite, and instead goes deep into the woods to do her business.

That's about it. It was a great time, and it was good to come home early. We had Saturday afternoon to clean up, (6 loads of laundry!) and still had Sunday to lounge and get the camper organized and into storage. I'm already looking forward to next Spring, and hopefully we can get out camping at least 3 times next year.